Accessibility law for PWD

• Patience, optimism, and a willingness to find a way to communicate are your best tools.
• Smile, relax, and keep in mind that people with disabilities are just people.
• Don`t make assumptions about what type of disability or disabilities a person has.
• Some disabilities are not visible. Take the time to get to know your customers` needs.
• Be patient. People with some kinds of disabilities may take a little longer to understand and respond.
• If you`re not sure what to do, ask your customer, "May I help you?"
• If you can`t understand what someone is saying, just politely ask again.
• Ask before you offer to help - don`t just jump in. Your customers with disabilities know if they need help and how you can provide it.
• Find a good way to communicate. A good start is to listen carefully.
• Look at your customer, but don`t stare. Speak directly to people with disabilities, not to their interpreter or someone who is with them.
• Use plain language and speak in short sentences.
• Don`t touch service animals - they are working and have to pay attention at all times.
• Ask permission before touching a wheelchair or a piece of equipment.
• Every business should have emergency procedures for customers with disabilities. Make sure you know what they are.

Some tips on serving customers who are deaf or hard of hearing:

• Always ask how you can help. Don`t shout.
• Don`t refer to the disability, and never use phrases like "handicapped".
• Attract the customer`s attention before speaking. The best way is a gentle touch on the shoulder or gently waving your hand.
• Make sure you are in a well-lighted area where your customer can see your face.
• Look at and speak directly to your customer. Address your customer, not their interpreter.
• If necessary, ask if another method of communicating would be easier, for example a pen and paper.
• Don`t put your hands in front of your face when speaking.
• Be clear and precise when giving directions, and repeat or rephrase if necessary. Make sure you have been understood.
• Don`t touch service animals - they are working and have to pay attention at all times.
• Any personal (e.g., financial) matters should be discussed in a private room to avoid other people overhearing.
• Be patient. Communication for people who are deaf is different because their first language may not be English. It may be American Sign Language (ASL).
• If the person uses a hearing aid, try to speak in an area with few competing sounds.
• Every business should have emergency procedures for customers with disabilities. Make sure you know what they are.

Some tips on serving customers who are deaf-blind:

• Don`t assume what a person can or cannot do. Some deaf-blind people have some sight or hearing, while others have neither.
• Don`t refer to the disability, and never use phrases like" handicapped".
• A deaf-blind customer is likely to explain to you how to communicate with them or give you an assistance card or a note explaining how to communicate with them.
• Speak directly to your customer as you normally would, not to the intervenor.
• Identify yourself to the intervenor when you approach your customer who is deaf-blind.
• Don`t touch service animals - they are working and have to pay attention at all times.
• Never touch a deaf-blind person suddenly or without permission unless it`s an emergency.
• Every business should have emergency procedures for customers with disabilities. Make sure you know what they are.

Some tips on serving customers who have physical disabilities:

• Speak normally and directly to your customer. Don`t speak to someone who is with them.
• People with physical disabilities often have their own ways of doing things. Ask before you help.
• Don`t refer to the disability, and never use phrases like "handicapped".
• Be patient and be sure you understand their needs.
• Don`t touch any assistive devices, including wheelchairs, unnecessarily unless it`s an emergency.
• Provide your customer information about accessible features of the immediate environment (automatic doors, accessible washrooms, etc.).
• Every business should have emergency procedures for customers with disabilities. Make sure you know what they are.

Visual Disabilities

Visual disabilities reduce one`s ability to see clearly. Very few people are totally blind. Many have limited vision such as tunnel vision, where a person has a loss of peripheral or side vision, or a lack of central vision, which means they cannot see straight ahead. Some can see the outline of objects while others can see the direction of light.
Visual Disabilities can restrict your customers` abilities to read signs, locate landmarks or see hazards. In some cases, it may be difficult to tell if a person has a visual disability. Others may use a guide dog or white cane.

Some tips on serving customers who have visual disabilities:

• Identify yourself when you approach your customer and speak directly to them.
• Speak normally and clearly.
• Don`t refer to the disability, and never use phrases like "handicapped".
• Never touch your customer without asking permission, unless it`s an emergency.
• If you offer assistance, wait until your receive permission.
• Offer your arm (the elbow) to guide the person and walk slowly.
• Don`t touch service animals - they are working and have to pay attention at all times.
• If you`re giving directions or verbal information, be precise and clear. For example, if you`re approaching a door or an obstacle, say so.
• Don`t just assume the individual can`t see you.
• Don`t leave your customer in the middle of a room. Show them to a chair, or guide them to a comfortable location.
• Identify landmarks or other details to orient your customer to the environment around them.
• Don`t walk away without saying good-bye.
• Be patient. Things may take a little longer.
• Every business should have emergency procedures for customers with disabilities. Make sure you know what they are.